The Divine Crash

Recently I have had reasons to call two major companies about problems with my service. Their name’s aren’t important. What is important is that I had horrible service. One company transferred me four times and the other three times all before telling me there was nothing they could do.

This got me thinking about churches. Do we treat people like these companies do? Are we rude to those in need? Do we ignore those in need because we are “on break?”

I once heard a statistic that 30 seconds is the approximate amount of time it takes for people to make a decision if they will stay at that church. If this is true then what are we doing in that 30seconds that gets people to stay?

It isn’t about getting a better market share of Christians and becoming a mega-church but it is about making disciples and when we treat people like dirt, even unintentionally, we don’t do that.

How long is it before a new visitor is greeted by someone other than the pastor and the person who invited them?

How long is it before a new visitor finds a bulletin? a Bible? childcare? or the Bathrooms? If I can’t find something or someone to help me then why should I stay?

Do you have unspoken rules that you expect everyone to follow? I was once at a church that said no children in the sanctuary and they kicked us out because we had our 6month old daughter with us. If I were less strong as a Christian that would have wrecked my faith. incidentally, part of why I am a pastor is so that I can do a better job than churches like that.

What is the message of the church? Can I get that message within 30seconds of entering the church? If not, why?

Think about your church and why you stay? Do they follow these things? What about churches you have left? Did they miss these cues…

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Church Thoughts by RevBT